294 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



Bied and Egg Destruction. 



Before the arrival of the white man, the Indian, the Eskimo, the 

 fox, and the polar bear levied contributions on the multitudes of birds 

 nesting along the coast. These contributions of eggs and young were 

 comparatively small in amount and probably had little effect on the 

 numbers of the birds. In the day of Cartwright more systematic 

 efforts were made, yet the number of eggs taken was still comparatively 

 small. Thus on June 16, 1776, he records: "After breakfast I 

 went in a skiff with two of the people to Swallow and Middle Islands; 

 we killed nine eider ducks, one black-duck, and a gull, and gathered 

 five hundred and six eggs. Five hands went after dinner to Beaver 

 and Speckled Islands; they killed nine ducks and gathered five 

 hundred eggs; and the skiff which I sent out yesterday returned this 

 morning with twelve ducks, a lord [ cT Histrionicus histrionicus], and 

 seven hundred and twenty-six eggs." 



On July 6, 1776: "Proceeded to Egg Rock where they killed six 

 ducks and two pigeons, and gathered two hundred and fifty eggs. 

 This is the fourth time that this rock has been robbed this year, and 

 we have taken in all, about a thousand eggs off it, although it is not 

 above a hundred and fifty yards long, and fifteen broad. " And again 

 on June 18, 1786, he took from the Duck Islands "eighteen eider 

 ducks and above a thousand eggs." On June 17, 1777, a female 

 polar bear and cub were shot on Ledge Island and he says: "On 

 examining the paunches of the bears they found them well filled with 

 eggs. I had often heretofore observed that all the nests upon an 

 island had been robbed, and the down pulled out; but I did not know 

 till now how those things had happened." 



Audubon, in 1833, was filled with horror and disgust at the destruction 

 that was then going on. The following is from his Labrador "Jour- 

 nal" for June 21, 1833, written at American Harbor: 



"We ascertained to-day that a party of four men from Halifax took 

 last spring nearly forty thousand eggs, which they sold at Halifax and 

 other towns at twenty-five cents per dozen, making over $800; this 

 was done in about two months. Last year upwards of twenty sail 

 were engaged in 'egging'; so some idea may be formed of the birds 

 that are destroyed in this rascally way. The eggers destroy all the 

 eggs that are sat upon, to force the birds to lay again, and by robbing 

 them regularly they lay till nature is exhausted, and few young are 



